Michael Avenatti, the former lawyer for porn actress Stormy Daniels, has revealed he is in communication with legal defense for ex-President Donald Trump and is open to testifying against Daniels. Avenatti, presently serving a 19-year prison term for multiple federal offenses, including fraud and embezzlement, shared his readiness to testify but added he is uncertain whether it will come to fruition.
The incarcerated ex-litigator did not disclose details concerning his interactions with Trump’s team. A source close to Trump confirmed the discussions are ongoing. Strikingly, given his past critical stance towards Trump, Avenatti voiced concerns over what he deems as a politically-driven trial against the former president.
“There’s no question [the trial] is politically motivated because they’re concerned that he may be reelected,” Avenatti said. “If the defendant was anyone other than Donald Trump, this case would not have been brought at this time, and for the government to attempt to bring this case and convict him in an effort to prevent tens of millions of people from voting for him, I think it’s just flat out wrong, and atrocious.
“I’m really bothered by the fact that Trump, in my view, has been targeted. Four cases is just over the top and I think there’s a significant chance that this is going to all backfire and is going to propel him to the White House,” he concluded.
Avenatti gained public attention representing Daniels in her case against Trump in 2018. The charged central to the current legal case against Trump is the alleged payment of $130,000 in 2016 to silence Daniels about their supposed affair in 2006, a claim Trump has repeatedly denied.
Avenatti’s legal troubles began with domestic violence charges in 2018, followed by a conviction for attempting to extort up to $25 million from Nike in 2020. Later, he was found guilty of stealing $300,000 from Daniels’ book advance, which coincided with him admitting to federal fraud and tax evasion charges, cumulating in his multi-year prison term.